Inspired by a family vacation at Disney World, Libby Vincek, a junior strategic communication major, decided to leave TCU and head to Orlando, Fla., after the fall 2012 semester to begin her career as a Disney performer.
A scout working in the entertainment department discovered Vincek while visiting Disney World last summer.
“Libby has a really great look to be a Disney performer.” Ashley Quinn, the scout who discovered Vincek, said.
Quinn performed for Disney for two years before working as an entertainment scout.
Vincek is excited about the opportunity to make people smile daily.
“It is an incredible honor to be performing for Disney," Vincek said. "It has always been a dream of mine. The thought of getting to put a smile on hundreds of people’s faces everyday warms my heart and makes me feel like I am contributing to the world in my own way.”
In September, Vincek flew to Florida for an open audition where there were 75 young women auditioning, Vincek said. The contestants went through three audition rounds.
The first round was dancing, Vincek said. The contestants performed choreographed dances in groups of six for the Disney judges. The judges then narrowed the contestants to 19 people.
The next round was called “action animation.” This round consisted of playing a game of charades with a lot of energy, Vincek said. The judges also used this round to look at the contestants to judge their bone structure and overall look.
In the third and final round, the judges interviewed the contestants and picked out the role they thought would fit them best, Vincek said. The judges dressed the final nine contestants in full attire (hair, makeup and costume).
The contestants were required to memorize a paragraph from the script of a certain character and perform it in front of the judges, Vincek said.
A week later, Disney casting services called Vincek and offered her a full-time job as a performer.
She will be given a character to dress up as, Quinn said. She will also be performing for thousands of guests each day, taking pictures and signing autographs for fans.
Disney is not allowed to release information about the specific characters that each actor will portray.
Quinn said if Vincek is fortunate enough, Vincek would be able to perform in parades such as “Fantasmic!”, “Dream-Along With Mickey” and “Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade.”
"It is such an honor attending TCU, but it really just depends where God leads me and what opportunities come from Disney," she said. "Receiving a degree is my priority, but I'm not entirely sure how and when that will happen."
